


Love Blossoms in Derdriu Square

by JAKQ7111



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Birthday Fluff, F/M, First Dates, Love Confessions, Post-Canon, marianne birthday celebration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27686947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAKQ7111/pseuds/JAKQ7111
Summary: It's Marianne's twenty-fourth birthday, and Ignatz has planned a few surprises for her.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Ignatz Victor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Marianne Birthday 2020





	Love Blossoms in Derdriu Square

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 3 of Marianne's Birthday Celebration!  
> Prompts: Kiss/Trust

_“Today's the day.”_ Ignatz thought to himself, breathing heavily as he climbed the stairs to Marianne's room. It was the holy knight's twenty-fourth birthday, and Ignatz was determined to show her a good time. He had plenty of surprises planned for the day, but for now, he waited, palms sweaty and breath ragged.

“Yes?” Marianne called from behind the door.

“I-it's Ignatz...” the nervous assassin shakily replied. “Are you around?”

Marianne hesitated. She wasn't sure what Ignatz was thinking, honestly. Her only plans for the day included staying in and tending to the horses, but did she want to give that up? Ignatz had never steered her wrong before, so she softly answered. “Y-yes...I'm available. Can I do something for you?”

“Yes.” Ignatz quickly nodded. “I have an urgent request.”

Those words were familiar to the holy knight. That was exactly what he said to her when he took her to see that beautiful sunset on the outskirts of Garreg Mach. That was so many years ago, when they were barely more than children, but just as he had asked her to do, she held onto that memory, cherishing it with all her heart. She opened the door to reveal herself, smiling softly and blushing pink.

“What do you need?” she asked, voice breathy and hesitant.

“Would you...accompany me into town? Please?” the artistic assassin made his request, his own cheeks beginning to flush as he fidgeted with his glasses. “I have some things I need to do...and I could use some company.”

“I...” Marianne continued to hesitate, not meeting Ignatz's gaze. “I don't know...I don't want to slow you down...”

“Trust me.” Ignatz smiled back at her, hazel eyes shimmering. “It'll be fun. Just you and me. What do you say?”

The holy woman paused, giving it a few more seconds of thought before returning Ignatz's smile and nodding slowly.

“Y-yes...I'll go into town with you.”

“Wonderful!” the anxious artist lit up, his whole body brimming with excitement at the prospect of spending the day in scenic Derdriu Square with Marianne. “Shall we?”

“We...we shall.” Marianne replied, grabbing her purse and heading out the door.

Derdriu was a picturesque city. The capital and commercial hub of the Alliance, it was where Ignatz grew up and called home. Marianne's homeland of Edmund wasn't too far away, but despite that, she didn't spend much time in the capital unless her adoptive father took her with him on business. These sights were practically brand-new to her, and Ignatz was eager to show her everything.

The pair strolled down the busy streets, eyeing the various vendors and their wares. Ignatz's eyes lit up when he saw a stall whose sign read _“Victor's Fine Jewelry.”_

“Oh!” he cried out, stepping closer to the stall. “This is one of my parents' pop-up stalls! Let's go see what they have for sale!”

“Ummm...sure.” Marianne tentatively replied, pleased to see Ignatz's bright smile. “Let's go.”

Ignatz led Marianne to the small stall, where a young vendor was selling a wide assortment of rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches, even bejeweled daggers and accessories. “You can get anything you want.” he smiled at the holy woman beside him. “My treat.”

“I...” Marianne was in complete awe. Sure, she was a noblewoman who often wore expensive clothing, but those were almost entirely purchased herself, or handed to her by her adoptive father. Only rarely did she get to receive a gift like this, and never from a commoner like Ignatz. She perused the shop's wares, treating this decision with the weight that it deserved. Before long, she gestured to a gold comb with three small blue gems embedded in it.

“I...think I want that comb.” the holy woman shyly whispered to her companion. “It's...really pretty...and I think it would be good for the horses.”

“Good choice.” Ignatz whispered back before turning to address the vendor. “How much for the sapphire-encrusted comb?” he asked in a much more authoritative voice than Marianne was used to hearing from him.

“That'll be 8,000 gold, sir.” the vendor replied.

Ignatz handed over the gold, and took the comb from the vendor. “Th-thank you!” he stuttered to the young salesman before handing the comb to Marianne.

“Thank you, Ignatz.” the holy woman smiled softly, cheeks pink. “I...don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything, Marianne.” the assassin replied. “I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

Marianne fidgeted with the comb in her hands, refusing to look Ignatz in his awaiting eyes. “I...appreciate it. Nobody does things like that for me.”

“Maybe someone should.” Ignatz muttered under his breath before looking up to face the vendor again. “Thanks again. Have a good day!” he waved to his parents' employee.

“You, too!” the vendor's voice cracked. “You two are a lovely couple.” he gestured at his two nervous customers, both of whom began blushing furiously at that comment.

“Uh...I don't know if we're a _couple_ , per se...” Ignatz looked down at his boots, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “But thank you.” he and Marianne left the stall, continuing their walk around the town square.

The tension was definitely in the air after the jewelry salesman made that comment. While it was true that Ignatz and Marianne were close, and spent more time with each other than with anyone else, did that mean they were a couple? Ignatz at least had certainly thought about the idea many times, but was always too shy or anxious to ask Marianne what she thought. Now, though, that someone else was making those assumptions, perhaps this was the right time to have that conversation.

“Uh...Marianne?” the assassin spoke up, cheeks still tinged a deep red. “Can I...talk to you about something? I...think it's important.”

“Oh!” Marianne was startled by that sudden question. “Ummm...sure.” she replied, looking around for a place to sit that wasn't too crowded. “Do you want to...sit over there?” she pointed out a bench overlooking the waterfront.

“Sure!” Ignatz moved towards the bench, lowering himself down and sighing heavily. Marianne sat next to him, looking over at him with curiosity in her eyes. Her hands dug into the hem of her dress so they wouldn't shake. She didn't know what Ignatz wanted to talk about, but she could definitely feel the tension around them, and it made her more nervous than usual.

“So...what did you want to talk about?” the holy woman asked, trying to read his facial expression for any sort of relief.

“Uh, well...” Ignatz stammered, his own hands beginning to tremble with anxiety. “It's about what that salesman said. You know...about us being a couple?”

“Oh...” Marianne's heart began to race. “I'm sorry...if I gave him the wrong impression...”

“There's nothing to apologize for!” the assassin looked over at the beautiful woman next to him, stomach doing flips as his cheeks burned. “Actually...I was wondering...” he paused, swallowing a lump in his throat. “We've been spending a lot of time together lately...and...I was thinking that, maybe...we could be a couple?

“Oh!” the holy woman was taken aback by that forwardness, moving to cover her open mouth with her hand. “Well...I don't know...” it was her turn to stammer now, still refusing to make eye contact with him. “D-do you really want to? Or...are you just asking that to be polite?”

“N-no! I was being serious!” Ignatz's already red face grew even redder with embarrassment. “I...have feelings for you, Marianne.” he confessed, heart ready to beat out of his chest. “I think you're the most beautiful, genuine, kindhearted woman I've ever met...and I might be in love with you.”

“Ignatz...” Marianne was speechless. Nobody had ever talked that way about her before. She was so used to being seen as just the Margrave's adopted daughter, or as some girl with a cursed Crest that should be shunned. Yet here was Ignatz, pouring his heart out to her, and calling her beautiful and kind and all of these heartfelt compliments. Truth be told, she had always liked him, too, but never had the courage to say anything to him directly. She finally raised her head and looked into his sparkling hazel eyes, sweetly smiling at him.

“Y-you're...in love with me?” she asked to confirm, still dumbfounded at his initial confession.  
“Y-yes...I am.” Ignatz replied, nervous but sincere in his conviction. “And I know I'm just a commoner, but I would love it if I could court you...or you court me...however it works. But I want to be with you...and only you.”

“I...” Marianne's mouth hung agape. She could hardly believe that someone would love her this much. “I think...I want to be with you, too.” she finally eked out, blush luminescent across her face.

Ignatz was floored. He had always dreamed of confessing to Marianne, but he never in a million years would have believed that she would return his affections this way. “R-really?!” he beamed. “Even if you're a noble and I'm not? Do you think Margrave Edmund would approve?”

“Trust me.” the holy woman smiled, covering his hand with her own. “We can talk to my adoptive father. I'm sure he will see what I see in you.”

“And what would that be?” the assassin asked, adjusting his glasses with his free hand.

“Someone who is very sweet, honest, and who makes me happy.” Marianne's brown eyes shimmered with fondness for the nervous young man before her. “And someone I would love to kiss.”

She then leaned in to tenderly press her lips to Ignatz's, cupping his cheeks with her soft hands. Ignatz gasped into the kiss, eyes wide with ecstatic surprise. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and deepened the kiss, not wanting this moment to ever end. 

Eventually, though, it had to end, and so Marianne broke the kiss, still remaining in his arms. For perhaps the first time today, she looked him square in the eye, smile wider than it had ever been before.

“W-well, then...” Ignatz stumbled over his words and thoughts. “D-do you want to go to dinner with me? M-my treat.”

“I...I would like that very much.” Marianne stood up, Ignatz following suit, and they continued their walk around the square, looking for a suitable restaurant where they could have their first dinner as a couple. Before long, their hands found each other, fingers lacing together as they softly smiled at each other.

“I love you, Ignatz.” Marianne breathed out, cheeks still rosy and heart still fluttering.

“I love you too, Marianne.” Ignatz replied, squeezing her hand. “Happy birthday.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I just had to end the festivities with my favorite ship. They're just so sweet that I couldn't resist!


End file.
